Going Cashless? Start With House Canteens

File photo of Indian Parliament. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be giving a huge push to digital wallets but it seems his government has to look closer home.

None of the Parliament Canteens have facilities for a credit or debit card machine. And Paytm is something no one has heard of here.

The boy at the canteen which caters to the media says getting cash is a problem and that asks people who come to his canteen to pay later. The question, he wonders, is how long?

When asked about Paytm he said, "The Speaker has to tell us."

There are three big canteens in the Parliament building and a small one which caters mostly to media persons. In a day, at least 500 to 600 have food here, which include Parliament staff, ministerial staff, and journalists among others.

Canteen caterers admit sales have gone down as people have a little cash to spare. Either it runs on loan or it waits for situation to improve

A look at the long queue outside the two ATMs in the Parliament premises shows that things are no different for the privileged here.

A manager at the Speaker's office said: "We are watching the situation. Parliament session ends mid-December and we hope things will improve soon."